Wheel-casting machine.



J. B. WALKER.

WHEEL CASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6. 1912.

1 24,755. Pa dtented Apr. 30, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. B. WALKER.

WHEEL CASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1912.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

3 BHEET8SHEET-2.

J. B. WALKER.

WHEEL'OASTING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1912.

1,024,755. Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

add aas: 7 afi @Mmr' ,W i. I

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO-.WASNINGTON. D. cv

JOHN B. WALKER, OF ENSLEY, ALABAMA.

WHEEL-CASTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 6, 1912.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912. Serial No. 669,780.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. lVALKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ensley, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVheel-GastingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to casting apparatus and has particular referenceto a novel machine for producing car wheels.

It is common practice to cast certain arti cles in metal molds, whichmolds serve as a chill, producing a casting having an outer surface orskin which is relatively hard.

One of the objects of my invention is to produce a machine for theproduction of car wheels or similar castings which shall be exceedinglysimple in construction and practically automatic, or at leastsemi-automatic in operation.

The principal idea in the present construction is that of providing arotatable frame having one member, preferably the cope, attachedthereto, and having a check and drag arranged for limited movementtoward and from the cope member, the three parts being bodily movablewith the frame as desired. In this arrangement the movable parts arebrought into operative relation to the rigid cope while the frame is insubstantially horizontal position. The frame is then given a quarterturn and the chill members are ready to receive the molten metal. Afterthe casting operation and while the chill members are in their pouringposition, the movable parts are tripped and they with the casting fallby gravity a short distance, a rigid projection extending through anopening in the drag contacting the casting, causing its ejection fromthe cheek. The frame is then given a quarter turn at which time thecasting will fall onto the casting floor.

The advantage in the present construction lies in its simplicity and itsadaptability to operation by one man, no auxiliary power being necessaryto secure the desired functions.

A further object lies in the construction of the check. This cheekcasting as will be seen is encircled by a metallic band havingtightening means, which means in this case is a bolt and nut cooperatingwith outturned flanges at the ends of the band. It is customary toemploy a retaining band but such bands are usually shrunk in place anddue to successive variations in heat the expansion and contraction willloosen the band and permit cracks in and disintegration of the cheek.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheelcasting machine constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of the same; Fig. 3 is a transverse, verticalsection showing the chill members separated, and Fig. 4 is a similarview showing the chill members separated and the frame rotated to permitthe discharge of the previously formed wheel.

Referring more particularly to the drawings it will be seen that Iprovide a base 10, having upwardly projecting standards 11, carryingbearings 12 at their upper ends. lVithin these bearings are seatedtrunnions 13 of a rotatable frame, having bottom member 14, side members15 and top member 16. These members 14, 15 and 16 are rigidly securedtogether at their ends and also by means of bolts or st-andards 17,which parts also serve as guiding means for the movable members of thechill, later to be described.

Rigidly secured to or integral with the member 16 is the cope member 18of the chill. This has an opening 19 therein within which is seated thepouring gate 20 formed of core material and having a pouring opening 21therein. This opening, as shown in Fig. 2, may be circular andconcentric at the top, the sides of the opening converging andterminating at the lower end in a contracted semi-circular dischargemouth 22. A downward projection 23, also of sand, forms the core for theaxle opening of the wheel. The bottom face 24 of the cope 18 -is shapedto correspond. to one face of the casting to be formed. The checkcasting 25 is preferably annular in form and is shaped on its interiorto conform to the outline of the casting to be made. This cheek securelyfits the cope 18 when the parts are assembled. The lower edge is alsoarranged to fit and be carried by the drag member 26, by means of thebeveled engaging faces 27. This drag member has its upper face 28 shapedto correspond to the opposite face of the casting to be formed and isprovided with a concentric enlarged opening 29 and a smaller opening 30.Within the enlarged opening 29 is seated a disk of core material 31, soarranged that the fluid metal will be directed onto this core materialinstead of the metal forming the drag. This is done to prevent thecutting away of the metal as is well understood. Projecting into thesmaller opening 30 is a plunger or ejector 32, rigidly secured to thebottom member 14;. This part is adapted to be contacted by the castingas it descends with the cheek and the drag and cause the ejection of thecasting from the grasp of the said parts. As shown in Fig. 3, when thecheek and drag reach their lowermost positions, the casting is supportedon the top of the ejector The cheek 25 and drag 26 are provided withalined openings 33, by means of which they are guided on the bolts orstandards 17. in order to provide for the cushioning of the drag andcheek as they descend, l mount coiled springs 3 f at the bases of thestandards.

For securing the movable parts in their casting relation and permittheir falling by gravity, I arrange on two sides of the drag, cammembers mounted on shafts carried in bearings 36 on the side members 15,and rigidly connected to cranks 3'7. These cranks are connected by links38 to a rocker 39 mounted on a shaft 4:0, carried in bear ings 11 on thelower member l t of the frame. To this shaft 4:0 is connected anoperating handle 42 adapted for manual operation. It will be seen thatby shifting this handle 42, the cam members may be simultaneouslydisplaced to permit the fall of the drag and cheek after the casting hasbeen made. In order to provide for the shifting of the frame withinwhich is carried the parts heretofore described, I secure to one of thetrunnions 13, a large handwheel 4:3 of any suitable construction. Thishand-wheel is provided with notches ist on its periphery, with whichnotches a foot lever 45 is adapted to cooperate in order to secure thewheel and the frame in adjusted position. This foot lever held inengagement by means of a coiled spring 16.

It is customary in the employment of a cheek casting such as 25, toencircle the same with a band of steel, this band being usually shrunkin place. In my construction I provide the band 47 but instead ofshrinking the same in place, I provide ears 48, the band being tightenedby means of a bolt and nut d9. By this construction there is provided aband which has a certain degree of elasticity thus permitting expansionand contraction at all times keeping the chill from fracture. Afterextended use the cheek will become cracked but its utility is stillunimpaired because of the use of the slightly elastic band.

The operation is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in the position ofFig. 1, that is, with the pouring gate in place and the disk of corematerial 31 properly seated, metal is poured through the pouring gatein'ipinging on the disk of core material and the casting is thus formed.After a short period of time, sullicient to permit the casting to set,the hand lever 42 is moved thus shifting the cams 35 from beneath thedrag 26, permitting the drag including the cheek and casting to fall bygravity. Hmvever, the descent of the casting is checked by contact withthe ejector 32, the cheek and drag continuing their fall, beingcushioned by s 'n'ings 34-. The casting being thus supported upon. theejector, shown in Fig. 3, the operator releases the handwheel til bymeans of the foot lever l t, and turns the frame into the position ofFig. at, at which time the casting will fall from the machine onto thecasting floor. After the insertion of a new pouring gate and disk, theparts are brought into casting relation while in the horizontal positionof Fig. 4-. The machine is then righted and the operations heretofm'edescribed repeated.

It is obvious that many modifications may be made in the exact structureherein shown and such modifications are considered to be within thescope of my invention.

1 claim:

1. A casting machine comprising, in combination, a base, a frame pivotedon said base, chills carried by said frame, said chills having a castingspace therebetween, one of said chills being immovable and the othermovable with relation to said frame, fastening means for securing saidchills in casting relation and for permitting the separation thereofunder the action of gravity, means for ejecting the casting formedbetween said chills and means for rotating said frame to discharge saidcasting, substantially as described.

2. A. casting machine comprising, in combination, a base, a framerotatably mounted on said base, chills, one thereof being rigid withsaid frame and the other being movable toward and from the rigid chill,a plunger normally projected in a vertical line and adapted to extendthrough the movable chill, means for permitting said movable chill tofall by the action of gravity and means for rotating said frame todischarge a finished casting from the machine, substantially asdescribed.

A casting machine comprising, in combination, a base, a frame rotatablymounted on said base, said frame having the cope member of a chillformed as a part thereof, a movable drag constituting the other memberof the chill, a plunger secured to said frame and projecting through anopening in said drag said plunger acting as an ejector, and means forrotating said frame into a horizontal position to cause the discharge ofa casting formed in said chills, substantially as described.

4. A casting machine comprising, in combination, a base, a framerotatably mounted on said base and carrying two opposed chill members,one of which is rigid with the frame and the other movable in a verticalline when said frame is in its normal upright position, triggers adaptedto hold said movable member in elevated position and permit the fallthereof by gravity after a casting has been formed, a plunger projectingthrough said movable member and adapted to cause the ejection of acasting, and means for rotating said frame, substantially as described.

5. A casting machine comprising, in combination, a base, a framerotatably mounted on said base, a chill formed in three parts, one partbeing rigidly secured to said frame and the other part being movabletoward and from said rigid part, said chills having a casting spacetherebetween, one of said movable parts having a perforationtherethrough, which perforation is enlarged at its upper end to form aseat for a core, a plunger projected into said perforation, means fortripping said drag and allowing the same to fall by gravity with acasting formed in the casting space and means for rotating said frame todischarge said casting, substantially as described.

6. In a casting machine, the combination of chill members, one of saidchill members being encircled by a comparatively thin metallic band,fastening means for securing the ends of said band, said fastening meanspermitting a small amount of elasticity to said band and means forsupporting and separating said chill members, substantially asdescribed.

JOHN B. WALKER. Witnesses:

.P. V. KoLB, C. F. BRYANT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patent!- Washington, D. C.

